Basketball Full Of Contraband Seized
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Thursday, November 19, 2020, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Criminal Interdiction Division under the Office of Inspector General Agent Travis Crawford investigated a contraband drop that occurred at the Mack Alford Correctional Center (MACC) in Stringtown.
Contraband, concealed in a basketball, was intercepted by MACC staff that contained tobacco, BIC lighters, two cellular phones, two cellular chargers, ear buds, and six packs of rolling papers.
Officers witnessed a male subject toss the ball across the fence and walk north in the ditch line. The suspect was followed, and entered a gray Dodge SUV.
The vehicle was intercepted by Coal County Under Sheriff Philip Magby on west Highway 43 with two occupants inside.
The driver was identified as Mary Lacenda Hernandez, 58, of Lexington, and the passenger was, Christopher Michael Lynch, 41.
Lynch admitted to Under Sheriff Magby that he had been the one who threw the basketball over the fence.
Agent Crawford interviewed Hernandez who stated she was to be paid $1,000.00 for the contraband drop, but had not received payment yet.
Hernandez said she picked Lynch up at a motel in Oklahoma City, and drove him to make the drop at the Mack Alford Correctional Center (MACC).
Text massages with pictures between Hernandez and a contact saved as “my only love,” identified as inmate Johnny Sandoval, showed the inside of MACC with arrows pointing to where the drop was to be located.
Lynch told the Agent he was picked up that morning to do a prison contraband shop by “Mary.” The contraband had already been packaged.
After he was dropped off at the Mack Alford Correctional Center, Lynch ran up the hill to throw the ball over the fence. He stated he ran back to the vehicle to meet up with “Mary.”
Lynch and Hernandez are charged with conspiracy (felony), introducing cell phone or electronic device into penal institution (felony), and introducing tobacco into penal institution or jail (felony).
